The Hindu : National : Most farmers agreed to acquisition: Karat

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Wednesday, Sep 27, 2006
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Most farmers agreed to acquisition: Karat

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI : The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday sought to make a distinction in its stand on Special Economic Zones and the proposed automobile-manufacturing project in Singur, even as the Congress expressed solidarity with the Trinamool Congress which is protesting the move.

Party general secretary Prakash Karat said the land being acquired was essentially single crop and not multi-crop land. A majority of the farmers had agreed to it and were collecting compensation cheques.

Mr. Karat emphasised that the Left Front Government had also kept in mind the interests of agriculture workers by calculating compensation at the wage rate they would have earned for five years by working on the land.

On the the Congress and Trinamool move, Mr. Karat said the party had no problem since both were in the Opposition in the State. He said CPI (M) cadres had campaigned and explained to the people how the project would help them.

Issue of farmers

The Congress criticised the manner in which the Left Front Government and its police acted against Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who was protesting the decision to acquire the land.

AICC general secretary Margaret Alva, in charge of party affairs of the State, said the way Ms. Banerjee was "dragged and manhandled" was shameful. She said that while the Left parties were agitating in other States for farmers' rights and expected Governments to listen, why was it that the State Government did not reciprocate when others were protesting in West Bengal. "After all we are also raising the issue of farmers," she said.

The CPI (ML) Liberation criticised the Left Front Government and accused it of resorting to "political intimidation and police repression" against people protesting against the decision to acquire land for the Tatas' project.

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